Two hundred years ago, on the 28th day of June, Jean Jacques Rousseau was born in Geneva, Switzerland. France is celebrating the bicentennial of his birth in the fervent, enthusiastic manner of that race. Although Rousseau's name can not be directly connected with America, the fact remains, nevertheless, that certain of his writings and teachings had a direct influence in bringing about our revolution in 1775, which preceded the great upheaval in France. Rousseau's writings set the whole of Europe aflame, and sparks from that fire were borne across the ocean. For America's connection at that time was intimate with both England and France, and the tapers of Thomas Paine and Thomas Jefferson were undoubtedly lighted at the great flame kindled by Rousseau.

Perhaps no more picturesque figure has adorned the pages of history than this dreamer. Dirty and unkempt, famous for his laziness, and with a great appetite for absinthe, Rousseau was a familiar figure in the Paris of his time. He was the leader of a group of pamphleteers, and King Louis and his band of royal conspirators dreaded his utterances more than they would have dreaded a plague. Carlyle was among the first to assign Rousseau his just piace, selecting him for his "Hero as a Man of Letters." It has remained for a modern writer vividly to set him forth as a character in an authentic historical novel, and that is what Henry Mountjoy has done in "The Minister of Police." It is timely that this monumental work should have been published on this, the bicentennial of the philosopher's birth.

One can get a good knowledge of Rousseau's work from the pages of history, but it is the mission of the historian to relate facts as they occur, rather than to draw intimate pictures of the actors as they were. This field is left open for the historical novelist, and it was the knowledge of this that led Henry Mountjoy to write "The Minister of Police."

As a student in Paris Mr. Mountjoy made a careful study of Rousseau and his companions who played their parts in the great drama of the French revolution. He has become thoroughly imbued with the spirit of the times, and his book gives vivid pictures of Rousseau, De Sartines, Le Duc de Richelieu, Louis XV, and others, who were the leading figures of the time. One meets these men in natural surroundings, and as the participants in a story which might well have been of real life. He sees them as men, not as puppets, and in this way his knowledge of them is far more vivid than could be gained from reading history alone.

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Smiling With Famous Authors. No matter how serious an author's work may be, it is usually found that his literary genius carries with it a sense of humor, and nearly every author is a natural raconteur, and has a favorite story which he enjoys springing whenever story-telling is in order.

Emerson Hough, who in his novels. deals with extremely serious topics, and whose "John Rawn" is a book of tremendous import has a keen sense of humor and never tires of telling about a guide he once had on a fishing trip in the Adirondacks. This guide had also been employed by Grover Cleveland and Dr. Henry van Dyke, of Princeton University. Shortly after the birth of President Cleveland's little daughter, the chief executive went on a fishing trip and was delighted to learn that his guide. had also become a father.

"How much did your baby weigh at birth?" asked Mr. Cleveland.

"Twenty-two pounds, sir," answered the guide.

"Twenty-two pounds!" exclaimed the President in amazement; "why, my baby weighed but seven."

"Can't help it, sir," said the guide; "mine weighed twenty-two, and I know that's right, for I weighed him on Dr. van Dyke's fish scales."

Frederic S. Isham, author of "A Man and His Money," is noted for his ready wit, and during his extensive travels throughout the world has accumulated a large fund of interesting anecdotes. One of his latest concerns an American who was touring in the Holy Land.

This man wanted a guide for but a short time, and so hired one by the hour. They started out, the day being dark and cloudy, and "did" a number of sights. Then the tourist thought it time to get back to his hotel for lunch. At the city gate he glanced at the big public clock. "Great Scott!" he exclaimed. "Is that right?"

The

The guide assured him it was. tourist appealed to a merchant; the latted showed him his watch-five-thirty o'clock, Nothing wrong with the city timepiece. The tourist's own watch was out of commission. He consulted other clocks in the neighborhood. There was no mistake-it was half-past five, and he had left the hotel at eight o'clock in the morning. He offered the guide compensation for nine and a half hours. That agile person fairly "ate up" the fee and hastily disappeared. Time certainly did fly in the holy city, thought the tourist, and it was only when he reached his hotel that he learned the Mohammedans compute their civic day from sunset, which is twelve o'clock. Five-thirty, Oriental standard, was about noon, European time.

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Margaretta Tuttle, of Cincinnati, who has written "His Worldly Goods," is very fond of Scotch-dialect. Her favorite story is about an old Scotch shepherd, who, faithful to the traditions of his clan, still wore the Highland kilts. One cold raw day he was sitting on a hillside, tending his sheep. His plaid was wrapped closely about him, but his teeth chattered and his bare legs were blue with cold. A fellow-clansman, who had been away from his native hills, came by wearing an English overcoat. Observing the shivering shepherd, he asked:

"Sandy, are ye cauld wi' the kilt?" "Na, na," replied the loyal Sandy, "but I'm night kilt wi' the cauld."

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The following story has been credited.

to Brand Whitlock, mayor of Toledo and author of "The Fall Guy," but Mr. Whitlock modestly disclaims the honor of being its inventor. However, it's too good to leave untold:

A factory laborer was fond of shirking his work, slipping off now and again for a smoke. A new manager named Dodgin took charge, and, anxious to secure a good organization, kept his eye open for the shirkers. The one in question had not seen him yet. One afternoon the manager walked through the yard and saw a man smoking beneath a shed.

"Hey, what are you doing there?" demanded the manager.

"Who are you?" gruffly asked the shirker.

"I'm Dodgin, the new manager." "So am I," said the shirker with a smile. "Come in and have a smoke."

Henry Mountjoy has a ready wit which he has used to good advantage in making the pages of "The Minister of Police" bright and snappy. He tells lots of good stories, and, best of all, invents them himself. He is also a practical joker and a keen satirist.

Mr. Mountjoy was told of the behavior of the Maharajah of Gwalior, who, at the Durbar, did not walk out backward before the King. Mr. Mountjoy, in his satirical way, claimed to be greatly incensed over this incident.

"Why in the world didn't he walk backward like the rest of them?" asked Mr. Mountjoy of a fellow club member. "Perhaps he doesn't know how?" said his friend.

"Know how," cried the author, "then why the dash blank-blankety dash, couldn't he have bought a crab and practiced?"

Vaughan Kester scintillated with a gentle humor which was a constant delight to his friends. It gave a subtle charm to "The Prodigal Judge" and is also found in large quantities in "The Just and the Unjust," which was published recently. He was very fond of children and the amusing things they said, and often told a story about the little son of a dramatic critic.

The little lad attended a kindergarten

them telephoning in orders in the morning or evening, after they had read its takes down her own telephone receiver and asks for the number in the regular way. Without delay, she is connected directly with the store's order department, and sends in her list of requirements, asks about seasonable goods, makes inquiries, and so forth. This message costs her nothing. The charges are paid on a wholesale basis by the lessee of the trunk wire. If she calls from a public telephone station in her suburb instead of from her home telephone, the charge is only that for a local call.

Every one of the eastern stores which have tried this leased wire service has increased the facilities as rapidly as possible, because it is the cheapest possible medium. for selling, gives better returns for the money spent than most advertising, and is a genuine convenience to its.

customers.

LONG DISTANCE HAS POSSIBILITIES FOR RETAIL MERCHANTS.

It makes no difference whether you are a large retailer or a small one, there are new possibilities for you to extend your trade by means of toll telephone calls in and out of your store.

Here are a few suggestions:

Every retail house with representative stocks in places of 10,000 population and upward can do a jobbing business with country merchants and cross-roads peddlers. This is merely a matter of canvassing such trade by telephone and arranging for quick shipments of goods to take care of telephone orders.

It applies not only to small lots of staple groceries or dry goods to fill out the country dealer's assortments, but can be used to make him a salesman for more costly goods that he does not carry in stock. Show him the possibilities of being able to fill an order for a piano, a sewing machine, a harvester, a steam heating plant, a cream separator, a gasoline engine over the telephone. He has inquiries for such goods, or can develop them. Telephone him, get acquainted, post him on points and prices, and make him your sales agent.

Suppose there is an exceptional opportunity to get staple goods at a quantity price. You cannot handle the whole

quantity yourself, but the price is especially advantageous, and widens your profit on something that sells all year round. What is easier than to call up retailers in outlying towns and selling them a portion of the goods? They are beyond your selling territory for most of these small staples, and therefore not to be considered competitors.

The hardware man knows exactly at what time of year farmers are getting ready for work requiring machinery or tools that he sells. He can call them up two or three weeks in advance and remind them to order repair parts or additional machinery needed for harvesting, planting, threshing.

The retail clothier can work up long distance telephone trade in children's wear a week or two before the public schools open.

The feed stores can arrange too to concentrate purchases when the markets offer favorable prices.

The plumber and steamfitter can take the initiative in developing business, instead of supinely bidding in competition with others on the jobs that have developed themselves, and by securing contracts in the same town, send his men into territory that he is not able to touch under present conditions. He can use the long distance telephone to make business in the dull spring season, quoting exceptional prices and keeping his workforce together through the slack part of the year, usually so disorganizing.

The coal dealer can add to his local sales by calling up farmers, quoting them prices on fuel less delivery cost, and filling the wagon-box of every farmer who is going home after selling a load of grain or hogs.

The grocer and butcher can take orders for supplies during the harvest and threshing seasons, when the farmers have extra hands to feed, and can organize groups of buyers in the country who will take and distribute regular shipments of fresh meats and supplies.

Any disadvantage of poor location or small local demand can be offset by intelligent use of salesmanship over the long distance telephone, and when this direct, quick contact is maintained with people in the outlying districts mail order competition can be successfully met and

overcome.